Inquest
A public court hearing held by a coroner (with a jury in some cases) to establish the medical cause of a death and answer who died, and where, when and how they died. It is a fact-finding inquiry, not a trial — no one is prosecuted or found civilly liable at an inquest.
Independent editorial summary — not the official statute text. Read the official version on legislation.gov.uk.
Judicial guidance sets out exactly what a coroner must establish: 'Where the coroner has a duty to investigate ... they are required by law to establish (where possible) the medical cause of death and to answer four questions: who died, where and when did they die and how did they come by their death.' The public hearing where this happens has its own definition: 'An inquest is a public court hearing (in the coroner's court) in which the coroner – or jury where appropriate – establishes the answers to the above questions and comes to a conclusion about the death.'
The range of possible outcomes is fixed rather than open-ended: 'Permitted conclusions include amongst others natural causes, accident, road traffic collision or suicide', and 'the findings and conclusion of the inquest will be recorded on the Record of Inquest.' What an inquest deliberately does not do is apportion blame in the way a criminal or civil trial would — it exists to establish facts, not guilt or liability.
Related terms
Official sources
This explanation is drawn from the official sources below; every substantive statement is verified against them. For advice on a specific matter, see our find help page.